Ante Up

Problem

One of the key reasons behind the popularity of poker is the fact that it’s a social activity. From packed tournaments to virtual tables, poker is played against other people – making it the perfect choice for friends as well as competitors. However, where do they get the opportunity to gather for such games, and challenge their skills? Where do they have the opportunity to talk to other people that enjoy the same activity and swap stories of bad beats, and great calls? 

Solution

Ante Up has established itself as a premier brand to accomplish all of those issues. The Ante Up podcast, has allowed other poker players to learn from each other, as well as giving those players an outlet to talk about hands that didn’t go as planned. The Ante Up tournaments have given players an opportunity to test their skills against others and battle for recognition in the Ante Up magazine as well as other social platforms. The poker cruises are another aspect of Ante Up that has allowed individuals to combine their love of poker with the opportunity to see some of the world’s most beautiful places while connecting with other people. We want our customers to have more fun during their leisure time. We combine all of these things to create one hub for people of all skill levels to feel comfortable to learn and help each other.

Market

Casinos and home games are local gathering places where individuals can meet. Historically, these places build relationships over years. They also love to share their experiences with other “like-minded” people. An experience with certain casinos can stretch over state lines and become a destination for people to want to visit. This also allows those casinos to promote their shows and other entertainment beyond the poker room. Specials may be offered to increase attendance or draw certain audiences. It can be attached to a restaurant, hotel or bar.

Competition

From the serious professional to the casual player, poker has grabbed the attention of millions of people across the globe. In fact, according to the World Poker Tour (WPT), there are over 100 million poker players worldwide. Statista published a report listing 7,791 casinos that offer poker, 2,324 card rooms dealing only poker as well as 45 ships that deal poker. The biggest draw to these poker rooms has been the World Series of Poker (WSOP). However, there are only 13 casinos that offer WSOP stops. Next on the list for the most recognizable tournament stops would be the World Poker Tour (WPT). They offer 9 stops each year. That leaves a lot of poker rooms to try to find ways to bring in players. They typically do this by offering gimmicks and promotions that take away from their bottom line. 

Why Us?

Ante Up strives to be the poker brand that allows players of all skill levels compete and discuss their game in order to allow for more enjoyment overall.  We want people to have more fun during their leisure time. The many combinations of poker products that we offer allow for the players, listeners and readers to have fun while being profitable for Ante Up as well as their partners. 

Ante Up also offers a charitable aspect to the game of poker. Each year during the "Stock the Shelves" event, Ante Up is able to donate literally tons of food to local food banks. This is an aspect that we intend to grow in 2023 and beyond as we offer more charity events across the country.  

Forecast

The three-year average sales for 2017-2019 were $452,146. In 2020 COVID shut down much of the revenue for Ante Up. While things began to open back up in 2021 it was still not at 100%. This year we have had the opportunity to see full revenue streams open again. I fully expect to reach the numbers that the business was seeing pre-COVID, and even more growth in the years to come.